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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1;

W. B. VAN HUTTON. FOLDING CRATE.

No. 264,877. Patented Sept. 12, 1882.;

INVENTOR.

set% WITNESSES 7 ATTORNEYS,

(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. B. VAN HUTTON.

FOLDING CRATE.

No. 264,377. Patented Sept.12, 1882.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM B. VAN HUTTON, OF BRENHAM, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- I FOURTH TO AUGUST 0. H. SCHWEISS, OF SAME PLACE.

FOLDING CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 264,377, dated September 12, 1882.

Application filed July 252, 1882.

T 0 all 107L077). tt may concern:

Be it known that 1, WV. B. VAN HUTTON, of Brenham, in the county of Washington and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Oratesyand I do hereby declare that the following is a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section of my improved folding crate. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same on line 00 or in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective detail view of one corner of the crate. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the crate knocked down for shipping, and Fig. 5 is a cross-section through the folded crate on line y y in Fig. 4.

bimilar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention has relation to knockdowncrates for shipping fruit, eggs, vegetables, and other merchandise; and it consists in the improved construction and combination of parts ofthe same, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed. v

The bottom of my improved crate consists of a shallow box, A, the ends a a of which project slightly above its sides a and a. About midway in the bottom of the box are cleats b I), for the insertion of the removable partition B, and at opposite ends of the box are cleats or ledges c c, which form supports for a false bottom, 0, made in two pieces, and the inner ends of which rest upon cleats c on the central partition, B. The sides D D of the body of the crate are hinged to the fixed sides a a of the bottom, so as to fold inwardly, and the end pieces, E E, are similarly hinged to the ends a a of the bottom. Both the sides and ends are made with openings 0, covered with wire cloth or perforated metal, so as to permit (No model.)

of the ventilation of'the interior of the crate when desired; but these openings may be closed by shuttersfon the inside, which, when used, are held in place by turn-buttons or other suitable means. The folding sides D I) have cleats g g for holding the central partition, B, in place, and are also provided in opposite ends with hooks H, which'engage staples h, affixed upon the folding ends E E.

F is the cover, the flanges Fof nhicll overla-p the body of the crate, and is held in place thereon by hooks I on the inside of its end flanges, which engage eyes or staples i t on the outside of the folding ends E E. When the crate is knocked down for shipping the removable partition B is placed flat in one end of the bottom, after which the hinged sides D D are folded down over it, and the hinged ends E E are in turn folded down over these. By reference to the cross-section, Fig. 5, it will be seen that theloldingends have cleats or flanges E E on opposite sides, which, when the crate is knocked down, will bear against the hinged ends of the sides I) D, and thus relieve the hinges from strain during transportation or shipping. l inallytheflangedcoverFisplaced over the whole and held in place by booking its end hooks, I, into eyes or staples t" on the outside of the fixed end pieces, a c.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- The combination of the box A, having transverse bottom cleats, b, and cleats 0 upon the inside of its ends, with the hinged sides I), having cleats g, the knockdown partition B, having cleats c, and the false bottom pieces, U, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' WILLIAH BRUNO VAN HUTTON.

Witnesses:

JACOB NEW, S. VORDERK NZ. 

